


Rise of the Heroes

by Cixalea



Series: Linked Universe [3]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, They have powers, Wild has a subplot, Wind!centric, very loosely a Rise of the Guardians!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21768559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cixalea/pseuds/Cixalea
Summary: All Wind ever wanted was to be a Hero. His brother got chosen instead. AU
Relationships: platonic - Relationship
Series: Linked Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555531
Comments: 16
Kudos: 103





	1. East Hebra Outpost

Wind slipped out of his bunk and tiptoed across the barracks floor. The other soldiers were sleeping as soundly as they could get in the permanent blizzard that was Hebra as Wind moved past them and to their commander’s desk.

The lock on the desk drawer was child’s play. You couldn’t be friends with pirates for so long and not pick up a few things. He opened it in record time, and he would have to brag to Tetra about it next time he saw her. Wind stifled down the pang of homesickness.

The first thing he looked at when he retrieved the letter was the red seal. Naturally, the commander broke it in order to read its contents, but when Wind pressed the edges back together, a distinct version of the Triforce insignia could be seen.

He forced himself to take deep breaths and read the letter though there was no other reason anyone at East Hebra Outpost should have received a letter from a _Hero_.

Wind felt dread crash over him as he read the short message. The letter was signed with his brother’s Hero name and the handwriting was definitely his too. 

Wind swiped a Spicy Elixir out of the drawer before he threw the letter back inside and closed it. The teen glared at the commander as he snuck past him. If the commander thought he would say goodbye, he shouldn’t have sold him out.

There was no subtle way to open the barracks door. It would blow freezing tundra air inside not to mention it squeaked loudly. So Wind put one hand on the door, downed the elixir, then made a break for it.

Blame it on his island blood, but even with the elixir, Wind would never get used to living somewhere this cold.

He only stopped running when he was starting to feel lightheaded from breathing through his scarves. That’s when he heard galloping hooves, but it wasn’t coming from behind him. It was coming from the north.

For a second, Wind was scared because he thought the commander or worse his _brother_ had found him already. Then that fear turned into full on terror as he realized it wasn’t a horse he was hearing at all.

Wind could feel the blazing heat from the fire arrow whizzing by through all his layers of clothing—his layers of clothing that were restricting his movements and killing his speed.

A peel of thunder ripped above him as storm clouds formed unnaturally fast. Another arrow peeled past him, igniting a tree ablaze instantly just to the right of him.

He pushed himself over the hills of the tundra as fast as he could, but one particular hill was hiding a snowbank and he fell into it. Wind was instantly waist deep and moving in it was like swimming in a harsh ocean current—the kind that dragged you out to sea to your death.

Snow started to not just fall but _cascade_ from the sky and lightning illuminated the surroundings when it shouldn’t have been possible in terrain this frigid.

The lynel’s galloping hoofsteps were louder and louder until the beast was almost on top of them. It stopped at the top of the ledge and was sniffing for him. Its exhales were loud and heartstoppingly close, and Wind instinctively drew out his Windwaker. 

He moved the silver baton in a quick and practiced pattern, and as always the wind responded instantly. The blizzard picked up to typhoon speeds and the only thing any creature in the area could hear was the shrieking of the wind.

Visibility was reduced to zero, and Wind knew this was his chance. The boy waded his way through the snow, and when he made it out of the snowbank and unsheathed his sword. The common sense voice in his head said to run for his life. But Wind knew this was the opportunity he was waiting for, the reason he’d put up with this icy hell for months. He looked toward his left hand and thought he could almost see the gold glow of a Triforce piece.

There was a huge explosion of flame as the lynel roared in rage, but that gave away his position. Wind drew a quick pattern with the Windwaker and a particularly strong gust of wind threw the boy into the sky absurdly high. He hung there floating for a second before slicing out with the silver item. Immediately, and the snowy blizzard came to a complete halt. The snow suspended in mid-descent, it was even hard to breathe from the ironlike grip Wind held on the air around them. With visibility restored, Wind let himself fall. Before the lynel knew what was happening, he dropped down on its head. Wind’s sword sliced deeply down its back.

The beast shook the very ground with how loud it roared in agony. It bucked Wind off easily who skidded like one of Aryll’s ragdolls a long distance along the frozen ground. He thought he’d broken his, well, _everything_ , since he couldn’t seem to move his limbs to push himself up, but then he realized that his elixir should have expired a while ago. The adrenaline’s absence left icy paralyzation in its wake.

He was left to stare in terror as the lynel unsheathed its sword and charged at him. He grabbed at the Windwaker, but his hands were useless frozen digits. He swore as he fumbled with it, the enormous incoming lynel held its sword back ready to cleave him in half.

That’s when he saw the red feathers. Sky was just a blur until he smashed into the lynel’s side. Sky kicked with a grunt of effort and forced the lynel off course. One flap of the large, red wings that sprouted from his back balanced him out on the ground before he took off into the air again.

The lynel brought itself to a halt just in front of Twilight, who held his hands out in a placating manner. Wind couldn’t hear him, but he saw Twilight’s face tattoos were glowing, which meant he was talking to the beast. Unfortunately, the gaping wound on its back probably threw the possibility of negotiation out the window.

The lynel roared in outrage, and Twilight was nearly trampled. The lynel had almost circled back when a third Hero appeared. With expert and practiced timing, he plunged his sword through its heart, finally killing the beast.

Wind yipped in surprise when someone picked him up. He saw Hyrule’s concerned face when he looked up as well as a Spicy Elixir that he held to the boy’s lips. When he could finally feel his appendages again, Hyrule set him down though Wind could still feel Hyrule’s gold magic healing his bruises and minor cuts.

“Arynn! Are you alright?” It was Sky. He landed just in front of Wind and checked him over for injuries like a worried mother hen.

“I’m fine,” Wind said as he wriggled out of Sky’s grip.

“Good. That’s great.” The sword that was in the lynel’s chest was roughly yanked out, and the beast collapsed to the side, revealing a man with a blue scarf and furious blue eyes. Warrior stalked forward until he towered over Wind and glared down at him.

 **“Now I can kill you myself.”** The words were Warrior’s voice but they echoed telepathically inside Wind’s mind. Warrior’s stupid Hero powers were stupid.

Wind gulped.


	2. Trail to Hyrule Castle, Great Hyrule Forest Region

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Wind runs away from his military station and fights a lynel. Heroes Sky, Twilight, Hyrule, and Warrior rescue him.

Wind refused to speak to Warrior the entire ride back, but it wasn’t damaging to any of his pride for Wind to admit that he missed Twilight, Hyrule, and Sky. 

Wind sat in front of Sky on the horse. Neither of them were the most skilled on horseback, but Twilight assured them that he found the most gentle-tempered mare he could in the castle stables, so the horse could more or less be trusted to just do its own thing and all they had to do was just not fall off. That left Wind with both his hands free to talk as animatedly as he wanted as he recanted his adventures of the past year to the winged Hero.

They didn’t drive the horses hard, but the only time Warrior allowed them to stop even briefly was at Serenne Stable to remove their winter gear so they didn’t overheat outside of Hebra and also to part ways with Sky.

“Can’t you come with us?” Wind asked while using his best puppy dog eyes.

Sky shook his head. “I’ve gotta get back home, buddy.”

Wind frowned. He totally understood why Sky would dislike castle life. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen the winged Hero any farther into the castle than the reception hall.

“But before I go,” Sky whispered. “I have a little something for you.” The Hero dug into his bag and pulled out a small dagger and handed it to Wind when Warrior wasn’t looking. “Four forged the blade, I carved the handle, and Legend did all the decorations on the sheath.”

Wind was in awe. The weapon was beautiful and no doubt the kind of quality that would have been rare even inside the royal armory. But Wind’s favorite part was the word “Wind” emblazoned on the sheath in bright gold.

Wind couldn’t help himself from throwing his arms around the elder. “Thank you.”

“I’d like to give you your birthday present on your actual birthday next time,” Sky spoke into Wind’s shaggy hair as he hugged back, “okay?”

Wind didn’t make eye contact when he pulled away, opting instead to keep inspecting his new gift.

**“Twilight says the horses are ready. Let’s go.”** Warrior’s voice echoed through everyone’s minds.

Sky remained on the ground while the rest of the party remounted their horses. “I’ll see you later, _right?_ ”

“Only if you take me flying.”

“I think I can arrange that.” Sky smiled before taking off into the air in a flurry of red feathers.

With Sky gone, the atmosphere of the group darkened considerably. Shy Hyrule, bless his heart, tried to keep conversation going, but Warrior was clearly still stewing about Wind and Twilight was just on the quiet side naturally.

They made excellent time just as Warrior planned. They arrived as the sun started to rise, and the Heroes were welcomed to Hyrule Castle like the high-brow bunch of Hylia’s chosen they were. The second they stepped into the courtyard, dozens of castle staff rushed to their sides. The stablehands took Epona’s reigns from Twilight to lead the horse to the stables, and yet others disappeared with Hyrule’s bag to replenish its stock with whatever he instructed them to from the infinite supplies in the lower levels.

The only bit of the reception that Wind was included in was the smothering by the nurses who checked them from head to toe for injuries. Though that didn’t mean his presence went ignored by the castle staff. Wind returned the castle guards’ looks of disdain with a smirk. The only joy he got out of being trapped in this stone dungeon was torturing the morons in metal.

Warrior handed the Windwaker to one of the attending guards who nodded after a beat of silence and rushed away. Wind sighed. The guards were getting better and better at hiding his most precious possession. It was a wonder Warrior hadn’t ordered it be destroyed yet.

Wind bristled like a cat in a cage the second the doors of Hyrule Castle closed behind him. Even under the grand entryway’s vaulted ceilings, he felt claustrophobic. Not in the walls-are-closing-in kind of way. He’d gotten used to being in a confined space on ships. But being someplace with no open sky, somewhere that had stained glass that tainted the sunlight was really stifling. Not to mention there were just too many people.

Warrior led them or perhaps his feet took them out of habit to the war room, the room in the castle where the Heroes had their meetings. It was pretty much the only place they had privately and was where Warrior spent all his time when he wasn’t sleeping or leading a mission.

When they entered, Twilight and Hyrule gave that little jolt that everyone did whenever Warrior was talking telepathically to them. Hyrule nodded toward the captain after a pause.

“Good work today, guys. Thank you,” Warrior said aloud in what Wind knew as his soldier voice.

Twilight smiled sadly. “No problem. I’ll check in with you tomorrow before I head out.”

Warrior nodded as Hyrule and Twilight left the room.

* * *

As soon as Warrior closed the door, Warrior whipped his head around, his hair swooshing like some Great Fairy but eyes blazing like the fires of Din herself.

Wind stood frozen before the terror bubbled out of him in the form of a loud swear.

Warrior dove over the meeting table, sending maps and little figurine soldiers flying. Wind reacted quickly and crawled under it, turning to pull on the legs of the chair in front of him and holding the chair between him and his angry brother. Warrior reached through the chair legs but his shoulder armor clanged against them, leaving him to claw at the younger like a Moblin reaching through a cage.

Warrior somehow got his other arm through and wrapped Wind’s forearm in a death grip. With one mighty tug, he hauled the younger out and grappled him in a headlock.

“You were gone for a _year!_ Are you trying to worry Grandma to death?! Why do you keep running away?”

Wind was left with no other choice. He opened his mouth and let a massive blob of drool drip on Warrior’s arm.

The elder flinched and released an outraged squeak of disgust, but it was enough of an opening that Wind was able to slither away and escape out the door.

“Arynn!”

In the hall, Warrior’s thundering footsteps and screeches only made the teen move faster. The castle attendants who were in the hall flung themselves into the nearest open doors to get out of the way of the stampeding siblings. They’d learned quickly from experience.

Wind jumped into a room and managed to slam the door right in Warrior’s face. He locked it quickly and leapt back from it as the wood bowed dangerously from his older brother throwing himself against it.

“Open this door!”

“No!”

There were a few more mighty thumps against the door before Warrior made a pained sound and cursed under his breath. “You’re such a child! This is why Hylia won’t make you a Hero!”

“Shut up!” Wind’s voice cracked. “Hylia doesn’t even talk to you! What would you know?”

“I...I will throw you in the dungeon!”

“Look around! I’m already in a dungeon!”

“Good!”

Wind heard Warrior scream for two guards to watch the door at all times.

Wind screeched in frustration and kicked one of the stone walls furiously over and over until his foot hurt too much.

When Wind threw himself on the bed, he coughed at the dust that exploded out of the blankets. Then he dug out his gossip stone charm Tetra had given to him and called one of the only two people he could.

“Link, are you there?”

It only took a moment for Link’s voice to echo through the magic stone. “Hey, Wind! It’s been a while. ...Is everything alright?”

Somehow Wind’s stone could connect with Link’s Sheikah Slate, but while Wind could only hear Link, Link could see him. Wind hoped it wasn’t the tears that wouldn’t stop beading in the corners of his eyes that caused Link’s mood shift. He was allergic to dust, that’s all.

“Warrior found you, didn’t he?”

“No. Turns out my stupid commander ratted me out. Not sure how he figured it out though. I was so careful this time!”

“That’s rough. Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Wind sniffled. “I’ll just have to escape again.”

“Where do you plan on hiding this time?”

Wind rolled his head on the pillow. “I don’t know. I just have to get out of here. Do you think you could break into the castle and teleport me out? I'm in a room in the Heroes' wing.”

There was a beat of hesitation. “It’s one thing to sneak past soldiers. It’s another to sneak past Heroes.”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?”

“Now, I didn’t say—”

“And I thought you said you were ‘stealthier than the Sheikah.’”

Wind smiled at the sound of Link’s deep sigh. “I can’t teleport from inside buildings, so you have to at least get outside the castle.”

He glanced up at the windows where sunlight was straining hard to break through.

This room had obviously been lived in. It just hadn’t been lived in recently. There were clothes in the armoire and weapons—all badly damaged—hidden under the bed. There was also a lot of cooking paraphernalia for what would have otherwise looked like a knight’s quarters.

But judging from the insane amount of dust on everything, if the owner really cared about the room, he probably would have come back at some point in the last, like, century. Maybe breaking a window would mean that someone would come in here and actually clean the place up.

“I’ll figure something out. You’re the best, Link!” If Wind could have hugged him through the stone, he would have.

“I know. See you tonight.”

With those words, the stone stopped glowing and returned to a dull blue. Wind let his arm fall to the bed with a thump.

He glared at the door. Then looked at the very breakable window and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explanation of names:  
> Link: In this AU, 'Link' is a traditional Hylian name given to the firstborn son.  
> Arynn: Since Warrior and Wind are brothers in this, Warrior's real name would be Link and then that left Wind with needing some other name, so I made up a name that looked like it went well with Aryll's (Wind's little sister in Windwaker).  
> Hero Names: When Hylia chooses a Hero, they're given a Hero title name. (All the Heroes happen to be firstborn sons so their real names are all Link.)
> 
> \---
> 
> The fight between Warrior and Wind was unashamedly inspired by the scene between Nani and Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. I mean, when I was looking to write for two siblings who have a rather large age difference, I had to reference the best.


	3. Hyrule Castle Grounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: The group returns to Hyrule Castle, and Wind and Warrior have a fight. Wind asks Wild to help him escape Hyrule Castle.

Sneaking oneself onto Hyrule Castle grounds wasn’t that hard. The place was a mecha hub of staff and people were constantly in and out. No one noticed a new face unless they were looking for it especially at night. Besides, Link had a little trick up his sleeve.

When he walked through the main gate, he bumped into one of the soldiers stationed there, falling to the ground like he’d hurt himself.

“Are you okay, kid?” One of the guards offered him a hand.

The bare tips of the soldier’s fingers made contact with Link’s hand naturally as he helped him to his feet. It was just what Link needed. Link apologized, thanked him, and walked away.

Link walked a few blocks before turning down an alley. A moment later, that same soldier came around the corner. Now that he was shapeshifted into a guard, getting into the palace would be too easy.

Despite never having been this close to the castle before, he found navigating the palace grounds to be so easy it was almost second nature. He made it to the back gardens and explored until he found a good place at the entrance to the hedge maze that looked unsuspicious for a guard to be standing.

Link smiled to himself. Sheikah? What Sheikah? They would kill to be able to do what he could.

He got the feeling he knew when Wind started his escape because there were suddenly torch-wielding guards running every which way. Link stayed put and kept his post like a good soldier.

Then someone came running toward the garden. It was a Hero who had strange forehead tattoos shadowed by a squad of four guards.

Link begged in his mind for him to go away. There’s no way Wind could get to Link if there was a Hero right there! The downside to hiding in plain sight instead of traditional hiding.

The Hero turned to him. “Soldier, report! Have you seen Warrior’s brother come through here?”

Link shook his head, hoping that he looked as dumb as the real guard did.

“Come with me then. We need to find him before he escapes.”   


Link nodded hesitantly but took the lantern that the Hero offered and trailed after him. That’s when they heard some glass break and felt a huge gust of wind. All of them looked up to see Wind was gliding out a window with his huge magic leaf, but Link knew that the leaf’s magic was limited to only fifteen seconds.

Before the Hero turned around, Link had thrown the lantern into the hedge maze. If there was one thing he was good at, it was making fires. Hoping that most of the soldiers would be distracted by containing the fire, he started running for Wind.

He waved the Sheikah Slate at the kid, and Wind must have seen because he let himself drop, trusting Link to catch him. And of course Link did.

“Wild?”

Link and Wind looked over to see the Hero from earlier, the one with the forehead tattoos, was standing and facing them. He staggered forward a step, an arm stretched out like he was trying not to scare a skittish animal.

Wild quickly grabbed Wind and pushed a button on the slate, and their bodies began to glow bright blue and grow transparent.

“Wild!” The Hero started running, but it was too late.

The Sheikah magic pulled Wind and Link apart into little ropes of magic and whisked them into the air, leaving nothing behind.

The magic reassembled them at a shrine as always. Wind got up a little woozy from teleporting, but he managed to give Link a fist bump.

“Sorry about all that. But thanks for getting me out of there.”

Link shoved the younger in the shoulder. “Just don’t make it a habit of making me commit treason in order to help you.”

“Pssh. I don’t think it’d be treason considering I’m not royal.”

Link exhaled and shapeshifted back into his normal body. It felt so nice to be out of that armor. He stretched and rolled his shoulder. 

“Well, you are the younger brother to a Hero, and they’re basically royal.”

“They think they are anyway. Wait a minute.” Wind’s voice went flat. “Is that Lurelin down there?”

Link kicked some of the dirt with his foot. “I just picked one of the places farthest from Hyrule Castle that I could think of.”

“You brought me home! Who’s side are you on?!”

“Oh, come on. I know you miss your grandma and your sister. It will take the Heroes two days minimum to get here from the castle, and that would be if they knew where you were already. This is as good a time as any for you to let your family know you’re okay before you disappear again.”

“...Fine.” He said through clenched teeth. “But you have to teleport me somewhere else after I’m done.”

Link stuck a hand out that Wind shook. He gave the older a glare before rolling his eyes and shoving him in the shoulder. They started down to the village.

“Bet you’ll never guess where they hid my Windwaker this time!”

* * *

The nightwatchman stopped in front of Hero Sky’s residence when he heard the boy making whimpering sounds. The patio that the Hero slept on was completely enclosed in order to block the wind, but it didn’t do much to insulate. The hut-like structure stood out like a sore wing among the open patios that the other villagers lived in.

He chanced just a quick glance inside to make sure the Hero was okay. Though the Hero was cocooned in the finest snow quill quilts, the boy shivering as he slept was not unusual. He was only half Rito, so he wasn’t completely immune to the Tabantha region’s permanent chill. Yet from the boy’s expression, he couldn’t help but think the Hero looked to be shaking from fear rather than the cold.

Suddenly, the Hero jolted up, gasping as if he’d changed altitudes too fast.

“Hero Sky, are you okay?”

The Hero gave no sign he heard him. Instead, he grasped at the sacred sword that was hooked on the wall. He unsheathed it and frowned at the blade which glowed brightly before it dimmed.

He leaped to his feet, tripping over the quilts that tangled around him which sent several items in the small hut crashing to the floor after being knocked over by his wings.

“Tell Chieftain Kaneli that I must go to Hyrule Castle and meet with the Heroes. It’s an emergency, so I hope he can forgive me for not saying farewell in person.”

The nightwatchman nodded as he watched the Hero throw on his thick Hylian-sized overclothes and strap the sword to his back.

“And tell Sun to please stay in the village until I return!”

With that the Hero leapt off the walkway and into the air. He could reach the castle in the time only a winged creature could manage as he was able to fly straight over Tanagar Canyon. At the speed he was going, it wouldn’t be more than a few hours before he reached the castle.

As the nightwatchman watched the Hero disappear into the distance, his heart pounded and dread washed over him. He had a bad feeling about this.

Then walked to their chieftan’s patio to carry out Hero Sky’s order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter things will really start to ramp up. And we get to meet Dark Link.

**Author's Note:**

> This is in Wild's Hyrule geography-wise but takes place outside the timelines/game/LU plots.  
> \-----  
> Heroes and their Powers:  
> Warrior: telepathy and empathy (must have physical contact for empathy)  
> Sky: flight (huge crimson wings)  
> Twilight: talking to animals  
> Hyrule: healing  
> Four: self-cloning (though not perfect as each clone has a distinct personality)  
> Time: talking to spirits (fairies, light spirits, etc.)  
> Legend: [surprise]
> 
> Non-Heroes and their items:  
> Wind: Windwaker (to control the wind)  
> Wild: Sheikah Slate (to teleport)
> 
> Other:  
> Dark Link: darkness manipulation


End file.
